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5 Absurd WWE gimmicks that actually worked

By Greg Bush
Modified Oct 15, 2020 06:22 IST
As great as some gimmicks are, it's hard to deny their absurdity
As great as some gimmicks are, it's hard to deny their absurdity
Unicorn horns, gold, and Booty O's. Does any other picture sum up the New Day better?
Unicorn horns, gold, and Booty O's. Does any other picture sum up the New Day better?

#4. The New Day - WWE's merchandise machine

Sadly, we just saw the New Day split up a bit, with Big E being separated from the group during the 2020 WWE Draft. While Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods will keep things rolling on Monday Night RAW, Big E will have to go it alone on SmackDown.

Back in 2014, WWE began airing these priestly power of positivity vignettes that the WWE Universe immediately rejected. This came off the heels of Xavier Woods' invitation to Kofi Kingston and Big E in the middle of the ring after a horrendous losing streak. Frustrated, Woods claimed that they would no longer be "kissing babies and shaking hands" and rumors began to swirl that fans could see a new version of the Nation of Domination.

So when this popped up in November, the WWE Universe was confused. Woods, Kingston, and Big E's serious demeanor was gone. Now they were introduced as preachers serving up a message of positivity with a choir behind them.

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"New Day Sucks" chants followed, and they turned heel five months into their run. Whatever their gimmick was supposed to be was basically scrapped, allowing all three men to become incredibly arrogant, aggravating, asinine, and surprisingly entertaining. The change in attitude was all they needed. They were still the fun-loving goofballs that they started as in November of 2014, but it came with such an overbearing amount of positivity.

The WWE Universe loved to hate them. However, that that hate turned to admiration as The New Day experimented with Woods bringing out a trombone, the group promoting their own "Booty-O's" cereal, and more. It was three guys just having fun, and as it turned out that through interviews over the years, that's who Big E, Xavier Woods, and Kofi Kingston really was.

Wrestling is best when a character is just someone's personality turned up to 11, as the saying goes. The New Day turned it up to 12, and they are now one of the greatest stables in WWE history.

Part of this can be accredited to WWE's plain old stubborn nature. In recent years, fans have demanded changes or new directions as there were happy to tell the company when they're not enjoying something. Yet, WWE continued to push forward anyway.

That may have something to do with The New Day, something that was outright rejected and hated from day one.

What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.